Great wines are sometimes found online

Reporting from Eastern Long Island, a strikingly beautiful stretch of land divided by its two forks. Over the next few days I will be tasting North Fork Merlot and Riesling, South Fork Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc. This fledgling wine industry is not unlike our own back in Niagara and Prince Edward County, full of promise and local affordability. Together we share a passion for wine that is free to those who can afford it, in opposition to what is very expensive to those who can’t.

The grapes: Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon

The history: The synergy of these white varietals in Bordeaux is the cat’s pee and meow. The west finesse of Pessac Léognan is best.

The lowdown: Others intimate a zeitgeist of dry, white hedonism but few succeed. Haut-Brion, Smith Haut-Lafite and Chevalier are three of the best.

The food match: The best Porchetta sandwich money can buy

Château Carbonnieux Blanc 2008 (581033, $59.00) is possessive of febrile gooseberry imagination. Blows sweet peach and apricot in and out of the glass in alberge de tours waves. “Hungry like the wolf” and his lycopersicon esculentum. A white PL for the ages. 92

The grape: Merlot

The history: Few Napa Valley vineyards take Right Bank Bordeaux to the Greek like this iconic outfit

The lowdown: First appearance in Ontario by one of California’s legends

Château Ferrière 2008 (229567, $44.00) may be a wine whose lot is to be grouped in serried ranks but I find a unique presence in its mineral expressive, espressoness. The Margaux perfume is there, along with a hint of blueberry blossom and pine straw. Can’t help but reach a modest degree of approximation to the full complexity of it’s Gallic, articulated language. 90

Michael Godel, a.k.a. “Godello” hung up his chef’s apron after 27 years to join the team at Toronto’s Barque Smokehouse in March of 2011 as Wine Director and Consultant-At-Large. Godello is now a Wine... read more Critic at http://winealign.com and he processes his thoughts about wine, music and pop culture here at http://godello.ca. He has also has written 266 lengthy wine-centric articles at http://o.canada.com/author/michaelgodel. Michael has been a judge at the WineAlign World Wine Awards of Canada and at Gold Medal Plates. Godello lives in Toronto with his wife of 19 years and three children.View author's profile